Isn't That Interesting?
by LordWelshi
Summary: Kim and Ron enter an interesting phase in their friendship. But what happens when something terrible occurs? KimRon, please R&R.
1. Shopping

The small town that was nestled in the heart of the continent of North America seemed peaceful, a perfect model of modern suburbia. Beautiful but simple houses lined the quiet streets, the homes of many a loving family. Young children played in their gardens as the sun shone down on them on this warm June day, creating the perfect atmosphere for a water fight or a dip in the pool. Teenagers, exiting the large glass doors of the mall, held ice-blended drinks in their hands, sipping slowly at the refreshing beverage as it slid coolly down their throats.

Kim Possible, teenage super-heroine, many time world saviour and the previous captain of the Middleton High school cheerleading squad, was one of many such teenagers. She had just left the large shopping centre in the company of her best friend and partner in world saving, Ron Stoppable. Who was currently complaining.

"Come on Kim!" he said, "It's such a great day, and I can't believe you dragged me off to spend two hours of it in Club Banana!"

Kim smiled around the blue straw in her mouth. Turning her head, she looked with her green eyes at the blond walking beside her. "It was a sale I couldn't pass up," she replied, taking another sip of her drink.

Ron sighed. "Yeah, another Club Banana sale! Kim, they have one every week!"

"That's not true!" Kim replied.

"Yes it is, every time you drag me in there, it's 'oh look, a 20 percent off sale!' or 'ooh, summer discounts!' You can't tell me you haven't noticed that?"

"Ummm…" Kim was truly stumped. Ron was actually right about something.

He grinned at her, his familiar smile breaking through to Kim. "Aha! I have finally said something that you have no reply to!" he said triumphantly, pausing to pose dramatically on the sidewalk. "I, Ron Stoppable, have beaten the great Kim Possible!" he said in a fair imitation of Drakken, adding "You think you're all that, but you're not!" He grinned at her again, saying "Hey, at least I didn't mention that it's all a conspiracy to keep fashion-conscious teens inside to spend money on items they won't really need in such great weather!"

Kim laughed, holding her drink away from her. "Ron, please!" she spluttered, "Not when I'm drinking!"

Ron patted her gently on the back as she coughed and laughed, resulting in hiccups. The blond haired boy smiled at her, looking into her eyes. Kim was always happy when Ron smiled, there was something about the way his eyes reflected that smile that was so endearing. The red head also had to admit the confidence he had gained over the last month was becoming an interesting feature in her friend.

It had been on a mission to stop Drakken from using a large device from destroying half of Middleton. Kim wasn't surprised when it turned out to be another super-laser, although she was very shocked to find that Drakken has actually found some half-decent henchmen. They were no match for her, as was often the case with the hired goons, but they had worn her out by the time Shego decided to join the fray. It was then that Ron jumped in, seeing his friend so tired and still trying to fight the green-costumed villain. Together they co-ordinated their attacks on Shego, and Ron had been the one that dealt a blow to her head using his Monkey-Kung Fu that knocked her unconscious. Kim laughed again as she remembered the look of surprise, then pride on Ron's face when he realised he'd just taken down one of Kim's toughest opponents. Drakken, by this point, had fled, not wanting to stick around for long. From that point, Ron had been much more helpful on recent missions, and had lost much of his characteristic clumsiness, though that could just be due in part to his growing out of the clumsy phase.

Ron's voice cut into her thoughts. "What are you laughing about, KP?" he asked.

Kim hiccupped again before replying. "Oh, nothing really, Ron. Just something I remembered from a while ago."

"You're remembering when I took down Shego again, aren't you?" he said, smiling broadly.

"You mean WE took her down!" Kim said in mock indignation.

Ron merely turned his head, standing so Kim could see his side profile. He flexed his arms, imitating so many of the body-builders and weight-lifters that he despised. "Yeah, you know it was my refined physique that beat Shego in the end!" he said, the amusement in his voice creeping through.

Kim couldn't stop laughing, causing her to hiccup all the more. "Ron, stop hic making me laugh!" she said in mock anger. "And if you're going to take all the credit, I'll start calling you RS!"

Ron couldn't resist. He advanced towards her, arms outstretched and flexing his fingers. "Oh, you think that's funny?" he said, poking her gently in the side, drawing a giggle from Kim. "I'll give you something to laugh about!"

Kim squeaked and leapt backwards, away from his deadly fingers. "Ron, stop it!" She hiccupped loudly. Surprisingly, her friend stopped in his tracks, looking at something over Kim's shoulder. _Oh no,_ Kim thought, _please not her…_

"Well isn't this cute?" a piercingly cruel voice cut through Kim like a hot knife through butter. "The loser and Kim, having a good time are we?"

"Hi, Bonnie," Kim greeted, her voice filled with barely concealed venom.

"Kim, I'll never understand how you can hang out with a loser like that," Bonnie said, turning her nose up at Ron. "He's so lame! He has no dress sense, though yours is hardly better," she said, splitting her attack between the two friends.

Ron was stung by Bonnie's remark, as he often was. But, as usual, he tried to hide it behind a mask of a grin. One day, he'd have his chance to get his revenge!

"Well, I can't say much better for hic…" Kim trailed off as a hiccup interrupted her witty retort.

Her old high-school rival laughed. "What was that, Kim?" she asked in a scathing tone as a red tint appeared on Kim's cheeks.

Ron balled his fists. He was less than 3 feet from Bonnie. _One little flick, _he thought, _and that plastic nose of hers would just fall right off. Ah, why don't I ever say this kind of thing out loud? Such a great retort! _He groaned inwardly. Then, his brown eyes caught sight of something coming towards them, carrying several shopping bags. He grinned. _Perfect…_

"Oh Bonnie!" Ron said, loudly enough to be heard by the rapidly approaching figure. "Isn't that your mother coming towards us?"

The look of abject terror that appeared on the ex-cheerleader's face was priceless. Ron and Kim both wished that they had a camera to preserve the moment as Mrs. Rockwaller approached her daughter.

"Now, Bon-bon! What have I told you about just wandering off like that!" her voice said harshly.

"Sorry, mom," Bonnie replied, her voice changing to a meek tone as she faced her mother. "I just wanted to talk to my…friends…"

Her mother smiled at Ron and Kim, nodding a greeting. "I don't know what to do with this one!" she said, "She can never seem to pick out decent clothes if I'm not around!" Bonnie groaned as Ron and Kim desperately fought to stop from laughing. "Say goodbye to your friends, Bon-bon! I'll get to the car!"

As her mother walked off, Bonnie turned to the two sniggering teens behind her. "You mention this to anyone…" she growled.

Ron burst out laughing as Kim hiccupped some more. Bonnie stomped her foot and stalked off.

"Oh that was excellent!" Kim exulted. "Ron, thank you!"

Her friend shrugged in reply. "No problem KP, it was just good timing that her mom was walking towards us. Although if she hadn't been I could have gone with plan B."

"And what was 'plan B?'" she asked.

"Poor your iced-smoothie on her head and run away," he replied with a grin. Kim laughed again.

"Come on, let's go back to my place," she said, grabbing his arm and tugging him down the street. "I want to try these new shirts on, RS."

Ron whined at this point. "But Kim, you've already tried them on at the store! And don't call me RS!" he protested.

"It's not the same as trying them on at home," she replied matter-of-factly. "And why can't I call you RS?"

Ron grumbled in reply and felt it would be easier to just give in to his fate of spending the rest of this glorious afternoon in doors.

"And what about this one?" Kim asked, turning slightly so her friend could get a better view of her recent purchase. Ron was staring out of the window and down into the Possible's garden, watching Jim and Tim, Kim's twin brothers, attacking each other with high-pressure water guns they had made.

"Yeah, s'great," he mumbled.

"Ron!" Kim said agitatedly. "You can't say that without looking! Come on, pay attention!"

Ron turned his head towards his best friend. "I'll just say the same thing I said when we in Club Banana," he replied. "Besides, wouldn't Monique be better suited to comment on your new clothes." Ron stopped talking as he actually took in the sight before him. Kim was standing there, one hand on her hip, the other hanging loosely at her side as she looked at him with her pouting face. Her large, green eyes were wide and pleading. Ron realised her facial expression didn't really match her posture, but that didn't really bother him. He stared at the tight, blue t-shirt Kim was wearing. It stopped a little way above her belly button, revealing part of her midriff, and the collar was a small 'V' shape that revealed part of her collar bone. The tight navy jeans she wore complimented the top perfectly, and the legs flared out towards the ends, around her ankles.

"Well?" Kim said, twirling around.

"Uh, it looks great," Ron said.

"Ron! That's what you said a second ago!"

"Yeah but this time I mean it, it looks great on you!" he blurted. "You look gorgeous." _Oops, did I say that out loud?_

Kim was taken aback. _Did he just say I look gorgeous? No, he can't have done, this is Ron! How long have I been quiet? I should say something. _"Thanks," she said, feeling a slight blush creep onto her face. Suddenly, she hiccupped.

Ron looked at her, then suddenly burst out laughing, destroying the tension. "You've still got the hiccups?" he asked incredulously.

Kim blushed further. "I thought they'd gone, I hadn't hiccupped for ten minutes!" she said desperately. "Help me get rid of them!"

Ron had an evil grin on his face as he advanced towards her. "Oh, I don't think I will. In fact, let's see if I can make them worse!" he poked her bare stomach.

Kim laughed, and ran past him. "Ron Stoppable, you stop that!" she yelled at him.

"You should probably have bought a longer shirt!" he replied. "You've left yourself too exposed!"

He leapt at her, tickling her sides. Kim screamed and thrashed, laughing madly before tickling him back. Ron started laughing too as they both collapsed onto Kim's bed, wrestling each other playfully. They stopped, panting hard. Kim rolled off her position sitting on Ron's chest, and lay next to him.

"So this is what you wanted to do out in the sun?"

Ron laughed. "No, but it's a worthy substitute for what I had in mind."

"Which was?" the red head pressed.

"Eating at Bueno Nacho on the benches outside," he replied, staring at the ceiling.

Kim propped herself up on her elbow, looking intently at Ron. "You're serious?"

Ron turned to her, smiling broadly. "Yep."

Kim poked him in the stomach. "You mean to tell me you complained non-stop for two hours when I was shopping because you wanted to go to Bueno Nacho instead?"

"Ah! Kim, stop poking me!" Ron cried, rolling away from her and falling with a solid thump off the bed. Kim grinned as Ron grumbled, crawling back up and sitting next to her on the mattress. "That wasn't funny."

"Yes it was," she said, and added "And don't you dare tickle me again or I'll pin you to the floor!"

Ron put a hand to his chin, and looked up at the ceiling. "Interesting prospect. Tell me more, Ms. Possible."

Kim stared at him, a smile spreading across her face. "Why, Mr. Stoppable, what are you suggesting?"

Ron winked in reply. "Oh, I think you know what I'm thinking about!"

Kim laughed again, as she had done so many times that day. She gently shoved Ron's shoulder, pushing him over. "Ron, I think you're getting a little bit cheeky!"

Ron grinned up at her. "Why, I do believe I am!" He reached up, and, draping an arm around her waist, pulled Kim on top of him. She let out a small cry of shock, landing atop Ron's chest. Her hands were pressed between herself and Ron's body, tight against his torso. She could feel the developing muscles there, and grinned at the blonde boy beneath her.

"Have you started working out?" she said in as corny a voice as she could muster.

Ron's grin grew wider. "Yes I have. Gotta be in shape for our missions."

"Is that the only reason?"

Ron blushed slightly. "Well, maybe not…" he admitted.

"Oh Ron, you can be so cute sometimes," Kim said before realising what had passed her lips.

Ron looked genuinely shocked, his blush deepening. "You really think so?"

Kim also blushed, hesitating as she answered. "Well…yeah. And you're really sweet too," she added, again before she could stop herself.

The typical dopey smile spread across Ron's face as he looked up at Kim, her deep, green eyes drawing him towards her. "I think you like me," he suddenly taunted in a quiet sing-song voice.

Kim grunted at him. "Of course I do, we've been best friends since pre-k!"

"Yeah, I know KP," he said, moving his hand up her back, resting his fingers lightly on her neck. Kim was aware of their presence, and wasn't about to complain.

She moved her face closer to Ron, feeling his gentle breath wash over her cheek. She could feel the warmth of his body, the pounding of his heart through her hands as she moved them slightly higher up Ron's chest. He lifted his lips towards hers, and they met. Ron's lips caressed Kim's own gently, sweetly; this wasn't rough or harsh, but a beautiful feeling of gentle pleasure passed through the couple on the bed. Kim closed her eyes and moved deeper into the kiss, pressing her lips firmer against Ron's as his arms tightened around her. Then, it was over. Kim sighed happily, opening her eyes and looking at Ron dreamily. She rolled off him, keeping one hand pressed to his chest, whilst Ron kept his arms around her. She snuggled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"That was wonderful," she said quietly.

Ron smiled. "So I'm not bad, huh?" he asked jokingly.

Kim just smiled with him. She couldn't believe it had taken this long for something to happen between them.

"You were expecting this, weren't you KP?" Ron said, reading her thoughts.

"Yes. We've been so tight for so long, this was just the next step." She turned her head slightly, looking into his eyes. "And you really are a good kisser," she said, hoping to make him blush.

Instead, he just got a proud look on his face. "Yeah, Monique never complained…"

"What?" Kim almost screamed at him. "You've kissed Monique?"

Ron bit his lip, snorting, before laughing loudly. "Of course not, I was just messing!"

Kim narrowed her eyes at him, poking him in the stomach with a slender finger. "Oh, you're gonna die, Stoppable!" she growled.

Ron laughed harder, drawing her to him again and kissing her lightly. "Of course I am!" he said with a grin. Kim just sighed again, and resumed he position, resting her head on his shoulder.

They lay like that for several minutes, just enjoying the comfort and warmth of each other's bodies. "So now can I call you RS?"

"No!"


	2. Relaxation

**OK, this disclaimer applies to the previous chapter as i forgot to place it there. I do not own Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, or any other character associated with the Disney series, they are owned by Disney. Not me. Shame, really.** I hope you enjoy this chapter. Not too long, and fairly similar to the previous one

**Lord Welshi

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_It's been an interesting day _Kim thought as she sat on her bed. Her back was propped against the headboard against the wall, and she looked down at the head that was resting on her lap. She smiled. _Very interesting._ She absently ran her delicate fingers through the blond hair that belonged to the boy who lay before her. She smiled further as she heard him sigh in content.

Ron lay there, incredibly comfortable with his current position. The mattress of the bed was soft, but not so much that his body sank into it to the point of irritation, and he currently had his head set firmly in Kim Possible's lap. As she ran her fingers through his hair, a slight tremor ran up his spine. He closed his eyes, the urge to fall asleep in such a comfortable position almost overriding his sense.

"Ron?" Kim said softly.

"Hmm?" he replied, having no wish to use the effort to speak.

Kim almost laughed as she noticed Ron was half asleep. "Comfy?" she said, mirth sifting sweetly through into her voice.

"Mmhmm," Ron replied, shifting very slightly, turning his head so it rested with his cheek pressed against Kim's thigh.

"Well you'll have to get up soon, Mom and Dad will be back in a few minutes to make dinner, and I have to make sure the tweebs haven't destroyed anything."

Ron groaned. "Just five more minutes!" he begged in the same tone of voice he used before waking up for school.

Kim laughed. "No, up!" she commanded.

Ron's eyes shot open. He twisted his face, looking directly up at Kim, gazing deep into her beautiful, emerald-green eyes. She bent down slightly as he raised up, lifting his head from the previous position of resting on the anatomical pillow. Their lips met in a soft kiss, one that lingered on Ron's lips even after Kim pulled away. He promptly dropped his head back onto her thighs, and closed his eyes, smiling.

"Oh no, you're getting up, mister!" Kim said, pushing him forwards. Ron sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his feet finding the floor as he did so.

He turned back to Kim, a small frown on his face. "But hoooneey," he said in a wheedling voice, "I was so comfortable!"

Kim frowned back, but failed in keeping the smile from her face. "Don't you 'but honey' me, Ron Stoppable!"

He couldn't resist grinning back at the stunning girl behind him. "You know, I never expected to call you 'honey' today."

"Sounds good to me, though, I like it," Kim said, looking away slightly and blushing.

Ron turned, crawling back towards her. He kissed her cheek, and looked into her eyes again. "Then maybe I should keep calling you that?"

She giggled. "Not on missions I hope, it would destroy our image in front of our arch foes."

Laughter poured from Ron as he nodded agreement. "I doubt they could take us seriously if we started making kissy-faces when we faced them."

"And what makes you think you'll be getting any more kisses from me?" Kim asked, crossing her arms and trying as hard as she could to put a glowering expression on his face.

"Yeah, like you could resist this?" Ron said as he raised his arms, flexing for the second time that day.

He was right, Kim couldn't resist. She reached out quickly and scratched at his sides. Ron gasped and laughed, instantly drawing his arms down by his sides and twisting left and right. He laughed as he fell backwards onto the bed, but Kim kept tickling.

"Kim, stop!" he begged, still twisting and laughing.

"No, it's too much fun!" she replied, grinning evilly.

Ron noticed that one of Kim's feet had entered range of his arms. Bearing the terrible torture of Kim's deft fingers, he reached out, latching onto the vulnerable foot. He wiggled his fingers against the sole. He was rewarded with a shrill scream from Kim, who tried to yank her foot from his grasp. She pulled back her arms from Ron's sides, giving him the advantage he needed. He rolled off the bed, pulled the end of Kim's leg with him, before sliding just slightly underneath it, still holding her foot, all the while tickling her.

Kim laughed harder. "Truce, truce!" she shrieked, finally managing in pulling her foot away from her fiendish boyfriend.

Ron's widely grinning face appeared, as he moved out from under the bed. "You started it," he said simply.

Kim's eyes narrowed. "That was low, Ronald Stoppable."

Ron grinned wider. "But you still started it!"

The red head grunted. "Fine," she said, turning her head away, purely to hide the smile spreading across her lips.

Ron got up from the floor, wrapping his arms around Kim, hugging her tightly. "Sorry," he said, and Kim could tell he genuinely meant it.

_Oh no, he doesn't think I'm really angry with him, does he?_ She turned, pecking him on the cheek. "I don't mind," she said, gently nuzzling his neck. "I'm not really upset with you."

"Well that's a relief. I thought I might have overdone it," Ron said. "I have tickled you quite a bit today."

Kim smiled, looking at him. "Yes, you have."

"And it got rid of your hiccups this afternoon."

"Uh, no it didn't"

"Uh, yes it did. You stopped hiccupping as soon as I started tickling you," Ron said, his face completely serious. _This is priceless!_

Kim hated to admit it, but Ron was right. "Ok, I'll give you that, but that doesn't give you an excuse to tickle me again!" she admonished.

Ron got off the bed, and pulled on his shoes. "Well, I better get going, KP." He walked back over to her, and kissed her forehead. "You want to do something tomorrow?" he asked, moving towards the entrance to Kim's room as she followed him.

"Sure, as long as we don't spend the whole day in Bueno Nacho. Movie?"

"Movie," Ron agreed.

They entered the kitchen. Kim slid open the back door and yelled. "Jim, Tim, in! Now!"

Ron got to the door, and felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. He turned around, and was pulled into a deep kiss. He could feel himself melting into it, before it ended all too quickly.

"Pick me up at ten tomorrow morning?" Kim asked.

"Sure," Ron replied, his voice becoming muffled as he pulled on his helmet. Suddenly, he reached toward Kim and, before she could react, poked her sides. Kim squeaked and jumped. Ron turned and ran for his scooter, Kim only a few seconds behind. Ron leaped onto his transport, started the engine and gunned it, pulling away just before Kim could grab him.

"Ron Stoppable, get back here!" she shouted at him.

"Can't hear you. Later, KP!" came the trailing reply as Ron sped off, passing Mr. Possible as he pulled into the driveway.

Dr. Possible got out of his car and looked at his daughter, standing barefoot outside the front door of the house, her fists clenched at her sides. He watched as she breathed deeply and stalked back into the house. _This can't be good_ he thought, following her inside.

"Kimmie-cub?" he said, following her into the lounge. "Are you ok?"

Kim sat on one of the large sofas. "Yeah, I'm fine dad," she said, her voice surprisingly light.

_Uh-oh._ "Are you sure? I just passed Ronald, and it looked like you were shouting at him. Did you two have an argument?"

Kim looked her father in the eyes, smiling as she said, "No daddy, actually me and Ron just started dating!"

Mrs. Possible was surprised to find a shell-shocked husband on her sofa when she returned.

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"Oh, that's wonderful news, honey!" Mrs. Possible said as she sat on the end of Kim's bed. "I always thought you and Ron would be together."

Kim looked at her mother questioningly. "Really?"

"Yes. You two have been friends for most of your lives, it was only natural this would happen between you two eventually," Kim's mother said. "You're both such great friends, and relationships are based on the best friendships."

Kim smiled. Her mom was, of course, right. Kim had thought about a deeper relationship with Ron for the last few months. _No,_ she thought, _more like a year. Ron's always been there for me, through thick and thin. _And she had strongly felt how badly she missed his presence during a solo mission last June: of course, it was only a minor task she had to complete (Signor Senior Junior had stolen a vast amount of hair-gel: he returned it when Kim threatened to cut his hair off with a rusty pair of scissors), but she had sorely missed him for the entire day that they were apart.

The phone rang. "I'll let you have some peace to talk to Ron," Mrs. Possible said, leaving the room.

Kim answered her phone. "This is Kim."

"Oh, hey Kim," came Ron's voice.

"Hey Ron!" There was a quiet sniff from the other end of the line, barely audible, but there nonetheless. "Ron, what's wrong?" Kim asked, suddenly worried.

"It's…it's…" Ron suddenly burst out sobbing, his wails of anguish stabbing into Kim's heart like a knife. "Oh God, Kim, he took my parents! Monkey Fist took my parents!"


	3. Monkey This

**OK, the usual disclaimer: I don't own Kim possible or any related characters, they are the rights of Disney, not me. (Is this really needed?)** Right, my thanks to everyone who has read this so far, your comments have been inspiring (really, i want to write more of this now.) Warning: this chapter didn't turn out as well as I like, but oh well. May come back to it and add more at a later date. Enjoy.

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"Can't hear you! Later, KP!" Ron shouted as he sped away from the beautiful figure that stood fuming on her driveway. Ron turned his attention forwards, intent on getting home as soon as possible. _Booya! I have a date tomorrow! Ron Stoppable has a date with Kim Possible, _he thought, getting so excited that he nearly leaped off his scooter.

Ron somehow managed to stall the engine when he reached the first junction. He blushed under his helmet as a driver behind him sounded his horn impatiently. _How did I stall this thing? It shouldn't be possible! Ah, Kim, _his thoughts went back to his recently acquired girlfriend, _once again, Booya!_

Ron couldn't stop himself smiling as he rounded the gentle corner that led to his street. Slowing down and indicating left, Ron pulled into his driveway, stopping next to his dad's car. He pulled off his helmet before dismounting. A sharp gust of cold air sliced into the air as the sun dipped lower behind the horizon. The sky became a fiery red, tinged with a purple shade nearer the point at which the sun was descending.

Ron slipped his key into the front door. He tried turning the key, but found it wouldn't budge. Cocking an eyebrow slightly, he gently pushed on the door. It swung open with a hushed creak. _Odd, mom normally locks the door even if someone's in the house. Maybe she forgot._ He wasn't entirely convinced at his own thought: his mom was so compulsive about certain things; it was a difficult thing to imagine that she may forget to lock the house door.

It was when Ron found the light switches didn't work that he knew something was wrong. _Dad would have lit some candles._ Ron tip-toed into the lounge, looking through the failing sunlight for some sort of sign. _Calm down Ron, they could have just gone out for a walk. But mom would definitely have locked the door if they'd done that. _A small sense of panic began in his chest, creeping upwards and outwards until he could feel it in his arms and neck. Looking to the right, he gasped as he saw a large rip in the sofa.

"Mom, dad?" he shouted, running through to the kitchen.

Silence. Except for something…so quiet he could barely hear it. Some kind of soft, hushed sound, like a breeze through leaves or…_breath through a cloth!_ Ron span on the spot, and looked straight into a pair of hazel brown eyes.

"Monkey!" Ron screamed, jumping back from the black-clad simian hanging from the light on the ceiling. Ron turned, and was greeted by two more of the ninja primates. He cried out and stumbled over, caught off guard, and fell behind the kitchen counter. "What the hell are monkeys doing in my house?" he said aloud. He gasped, eyes widening in fear and dread as a small tremble began in his legs. "Monkey Fist!"

"You called?" a smug voice called out. Ron leaped to his feet, facing the genetically altered English noble.

"I knew it!" Ron said, trying to make his voice sound braver than he felt. "Why are you here?"

"Simple: I'm here to destroy you, Ron Stoppable!"

Ron smiled slightly. "You're still the only villain to remember my name, kudos to you."

Monkey Fist growled. "You can joke if you wish, but I am here to finish the one thing that I have never succeeded in: becoming the one and only master of the mystical powers of Tae Shing Peck War!"

"Dude, I never wanted the powers in the first place! If you hadn't been all crazy and tried to kill me, I would never have got the powers!"

Fist bristled with anger. "You were the one who came snooping around my home!"

Ron was becoming equally angry, though the presence of monkeys in his kitchen was making him feel nervous. "You told me about your monkey idol things, I had no idea until you actually spelled it out for me!"

"What do you mean?"

"Dude, come on, don't you ever talk to the other major super villains?" Ron asked, folding his arms and tapping a finger on his chest. "I'm pretty much clueless when it comes to these types of things."

"Enough!" yelled the dark-haired martial artist. "You will surrender to me!" he demanded, holding out a furry hand and holding palm upwards, before closing the fist as if squashing a small insect.

Ron glanced at the three monkey ninjas that had taken up positions in the kitchen that left him cut off from any escape route. "Or?" he asked.

His face paled when a small group of monkey ninjas dragged two inert forms out of a door nearby. "Mom, dad!" he shouted.

Fist laughed. "I have your family, Stoppable!"

_Damnit, think before speaking! Oh god, mom, dad! What do I do? If I surrender, he'll leave them alone. Wait, this is fist, he's evil! He'll take them all the same! Oh no, dad's eyes are red, he's reacting to the monkey fur!_

Ron gulped, before altering his stance. He placed his left leg behind him slightly, bending the knee as he raised an arm and held it, palm facing towards his enemy, whilst the other was held at eye level. "No way."

Fist indulged himself with a small smile. "Oh so very brave of you, if very foolish. Monkey ninjas, attack!"

Ron fought every urge that told his body to flee before the terrifying primates that swiftly moved towards him. _Monkeys, monkeys, monkeys, monkeys _he thought in near panic as they approached. Gulping again, he shifted his weight forwards and down, bending his forwards right leg. He pressed himself against the floor as the monkey that had been hanging from the light careened past his head. Pushing down with his hands, he brought himself back to a standing position. He gasped and brought his arm up quickly, shielding his head from a kick. Ron stepped backwards, and felt a solid pressure collide with his back. He cried out, falling forwards and onto the floor as another leg swept his feet out from under him.

_No,_ he thought. He swung his legs around, and thrust them straight up. He was rewarded with a shrill scream as his feet connected with the ninja primate that had been diving towards his prone form. He didn't bother looking as his attacker crashed through a window: he still had to deal with two others. Getting back into the fighting stance, he beckoned the other two forwards. The monkeys glanced at each other, and then dashed forwards. One dove straight at Ron. He raised his arm again, the two small fists impacting with a shocking force against his forearm. He twisted his arm around slightly, his hand completely engulfing the small wrist. He shuddered as the fur made contact with his skin, every fibre in his being wanting to squirm away from the disgusting sensation. But he gripped tighter and turned around sharply. The victim of his attack shrieked in surprise as it was swung round several time, before being launched. There was a loud thud as it went straight into a cupboard, the wood cracking as the form impacted with great force.

The third monkey had taken this opportunity to get behind Ron. Waiting until Ron had just let his companion go, the ninja swept in. Using his tail as a counterbalance, he leaped right whilst leaning in to the left, towards Ron, before leaping high into the air. Ron looked up as two simian feet collided with his chest, thrusting him down onto the floor. The blond haired boy rolled over and scrambled to his feet, swinging a wild fist that his enemy easily dodged.

_Damn, I can't win if I just punch blindly!_ Ron steadied himself and brought a knee slowly up towards his chest. He stretched his left arm forwards, the palm pointing outwards, whilst his right arm dropped to his side, bent at the elbow and ready to strike. The primate ahead of him leapt up, trying to kick Ron in the chest again. Just as he was about to connect, Ron quickly leant backwards, bending as far as his spine would allow. As his right hand touched the ground to prevent him falling over, he brought his bent leg up as far as he could, his foot just connecting with the monkey's head. He leant slightly to the right and brought his stretched left arm up, grabbing the monkey's tail as it dropped, and hurled it to the other side of the room, where it dropped next to its previously fallen comrade.

The blond teen turned again, and was met with a large fist to the side of the face. He cried out as he fell backwards, his head colliding solidly with the table behind him. Ron sank to the ground, his back sliding down a cold table leg. He groaned as he lay there, on the freezing, dark surface of the linoleum floor. Brown eyes turned to regard a large form looming in front of him. The figure bent down.

"And so it ends, Ron Stoppable," Fist said to his fallen opponent. "I admit, I was surprised at how you dispatched three of my ninjas, so I had to step in." He smiled, baring his teeth, and Ron was dimly aware that the fear in his mind had cleared. The monkeys scared him; Fist terrified him, but his parents were in trouble. "And now, it is time for your life to end!" And so was he.

Monkey Fist slammed his open palm into Ron's chest. Ron cried out sharply as the pressure nearly cracked a rib. He gasped in pain as the villain grinned, drawing his arm back and striking again. Ron cried out again as he felt his chest throb and bruise, the brutal attacks draining him of his ability and his very will to fight back. Monkey Fist moved his face closer to Ron's.

"And so it ends, as they say, not with a bang, but a whimper!" he said sardonically.

The muscles in his neck all expelled as much energy as they could manage, the veins in his neck all bulging for a brief instant as Ron used the last of his strength to make one last, desperate attack. His head snapped forward, and smashed painfully into Monkey Fist's face. A scream of pain and rage was followed by the genetically altered human clutching his face and staggering backwards as blood seeped through his fingers. Ron watched through the pain in his forehead and chest as Fist, still clutching his nose with one hand, pointed at him.

"You will pay for that!" he screamed madly. He turned to the remaining ninjas that were guarding the inert forms of Mr. and Mrs. Stoppable. "Bring them!" He left, the monkeys obeying his command and following with the two human forms.

Ron tried to stand, clutching the table for support. He tried to walk forwards, but the strength fled from his body as he once again fell to the floor. Fighting off tears, he crawled painfully slowly towards the far wall and, summoning any reserves of strength he could, stood, leaning heavily against the wall. He dialled a number.

He heard the ringing, and then a sweet voice answered, "This is Kim."

"Hey Kim," Ron managed to choke back.

"Ron, what's wrong?" Kim asked, obvious concern in her voice.

Ron finally broke down, his emotions overriding his mind as he cried. "Oh God, Kim, he took my parents! Monkey Fist took my parents!" He finally collapsed to the floor, exhausted, the phone left to dangle on its cord.


	4. Bruises

**Disclaimer: Don't own Kim Possible or any other characters related to her or the series.** Okie dokie guys, here's chapter 4. Again, didn't quite turn out as I'd hoped, but it'll do. I've already got plans for the sequel to this story, so yayness.

Nova-chan: Thankyou, glad you liked the fight. More to come.  
Miss Piratess: Yes, I do tend to write in some awkward sentences, it's a habit of mine. But glad you like the story so far anyway!  
Jezzriana 2.0: Thankyou, I'm glad you like the feel of their relationship. Also, apologies for the British expressions: being from Britain, I am not sure of all the American terms and expressions, so if you see a British term/expression, feel free to replace it with the equivelant American one when you read it. But i will try to include American ones as and when i can.  
Everyone else: Many thanks for your comments.

* * *

"Ron?" Kim half screamed into her phone. She was greeted with silence, interspersed with a small tap every few seconds. She dashed out of her room, not bothering to place the cordless receiver back on its base.

Kim ran into the kitchen. Her mother looked up from the table. "Honey, what's wrong?" Mrs. Possible asked, seeing her daughter's ragged breathing and noting her eyes were sparkling with held-back tears.

"Ron's parents have been kidnapped!" Kim said frantically. "And I think he's been attacked! Mom, you've got to come with me, he might be hurt!" The red haired young woman tried desperately to hold back her sobs, fighting them down as they rose in her chest.

Mrs. Possible stood quickly, tipping over her chair as she grabbed her car keys. She called into the living room, telling her husband she was taking Kim to Ron's, and accompanied her daughter out of the front door. They both ran to the car, slamming the doors shut once they were seated. With a turn of the key in the ignition, Dr. Possible pulled out of her driveway and accelerated at an intense speed.

If this had been any other situation, Kim would have been surprised at just how fast her mother was driving, but as it was, all she could think about was Ron. _Please,_ her mind begged, _let him be alright!_ A solitary tear crept down her cheek, and she brushed it away quickly. She couldn't allow herself to get worked up about this: if Ron was hurt she would have to be strong for him. And if his parents were missing, he'd need her strength more than ever.

"Hold on, Kim!" Mrs. Possible said, snapping her out of her reflections. Mrs. Possible stepped hard on the brakes, the tires squealing in protest as she came to an abrupt halt in the Stoppable's driveway. Kim jerked forward in her seat as they stopped, before being thrown back into the seat. She instantly leapt for the door, wrenching at the handle and throwing the metal obstacle open. Kim sprinted out of the car as the sun dipped finally below the horizon, throwing a final blood red shimmer across a small portion of the deep blue sky.

Shoving the wood front door aside, Kim ran into the house. "Ron!" she called, looking left and right frantically. She ran into the living room, peering against the darkness to try to catch a glimpse of her blond boyfriend. "Ron!" she shouted again, praying for a reply. Seeing no sign of him in the lounge, she turned and, passing her mother who was coming through the door carrying a small black bag, ran into the kitchen. She stopped, looking at the scene that greeted her.

Two monkeys, clad in black uniforms that covered their bodies and obscured their faces, lay unconscious against a cracked cupboard door; the table in the centre of the small kitchen was overturned; jars of unidentified foodstuffs lay shattered on the floor; and one of the kitchen windows had been smashed, as though some heavy object had been hurled through it. Kim almost shrieked as she looked at the floor: blood. _Please, no!_ Following the trail of body fluid, she caught sight of Ron, propped against the far wall, the phone hanging limply on its cord above him. Kim ran over to him, sliding to her knees as she reached him. She placed a hand on Ron's arm, watching his face with fear as she hoped he would wake up. Her heart had turned to ice as she looked at his pale face, cold fear gripping her mind and refusing to relinquish its grip.

"Mom, in here!" Kim shouted, but she hadn't needed to: her mother was behind her, crouching to look at the injured form before her. Kim tried to wake Ron, holding his limp hand and nudging him, calling his name. "Mom, he won't wake up! Why won't he wake up?" Kim said as panic settled in her stomach, a cold feeling that weighed her down like lead.

"Kim, I need light to see what's wrong. Find the fuse box and see if you can do something," Dr. Possible said. Kim dashed off to find it as her mother opened her black medical bag.

Kim found what she was looking for: a small, white box, attached to the wall in a walk-in cupboard just off the kitchen area. She opened it, and found a single, black switch in a different position from all the others: this was the main fuse, the one that controlled the entire house. It was set from 'on' to 'off.' She clicked it back to 'on.' There was an explosion of light behind her as all the lights in the house abruptly erupted with life, electricity coursing through wires in glass bulbs as their power was restored. Kim ran back out into the kitchen to find her mother holding a cloth under a tap, drenching it. Mrs. Possible wrung it out slightly, then crossed back over to Ron and placed it against his forehead. Kim was relieved to see his chest rising and falling as he breathed.

"Kim, I need your help to take off his shirt," her mother said. "I need to check his chest for injury."

Kim dropped to her knees on the opposite side of Ron. Placing a gentle hand behind his back, she pushed him very slightly away from the wall, careful not to topple him forwards. Mrs. Possible grabbed his red shirt and lifted it over his head as Kim used her free hand to guide Ron's arm out of the sleeve. Kim paled at the sight of Ron's chest, and her mother frowned. A large, purple swelling stood out in the centre of his torso, crimson streaks radiating out along the circumference of the injury. Dr. Possible took a small tube from her bag, and handed it to her daughter.

"Apply some of this to the wound," she said, "I'm going to check his pulse. Just place a small drop of that cream on your fingers and massage it gently into the chest area, it'll prevent infection and should reduce the swelling."

As Dr. Possible placed two fingers against Ron's wrist, Kim squeezed a thin strip of the clear, liquorice-scented cream onto her fingertips. Rubbing them together, she then applied her hands to Ron's chest, rubbing in small circles around the outside of the ugly swelling, slowly drawing towards the centre. She heard a slight change in the rhythm of Ron's breathing, assuming it was simply his reaction to the newly applied pressure to his wound.

"If you want to get my shirt off, just ask," said a weak voice. Kim looked up at Ron's face. His eyes were still closed, but his mouth worked as he spoke. "And that stuff's cold."

"Mom, he's awake!" Kim exclaimed.

Dr. Possible looked up from her watch, timing Ron's heartbeats. "Talk to him, dear, make sure he stays awake," she urged her daughter.

"Ron?" Kim said tentatively.

Eyelids flickered open, and brown eyes turned to regard her. "Hey, KP. What's up?"

"Oh thank God you're alright," Kim said, gripping his hand tightly in hers. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Ron's eyes, half covered by his drooping eyelids, looked deep into Kim's as he remembered. "I came home and found Monkey Fist and his ninjas waiting for me. They'd captured my parents. I fought his monkeys." Kim noted the shudder that passed through Ron's body as he recounted fighting one of his greatest fears. "He attacked me, Kim! He wanted to kill me, I mean really kill me! He was merciless; he just kept slamming my chest so hard I thought my ribs would break."

Kim shot a glance to her mother, who looked at her and shook her head. "No broken ribs, thank goodness, just that contusion. I've never seen anything like it; it swells at the centre, but just tapers off to the edges with those red streaks. They look like burst blood vessels beneath the surface of the skin. I don't understand how he did it."

"The open-palm monkey strike," Ron said.

Kim turned back to him. "The what?"

"Open-palm monkey strike: it's when you strike your opponent in one place with your open palm, focussing your energy on the heel of your hand. All the force of the strike hits a focussed spot, resulting in this," Ron supplied. "No breaking of the skin, just a terrible bruise and broken bones if you manage more than a few strikes at the same point."

"No blood?" Kim questioned. "Then what about the trail on the floor? You're not bleeding are you?" Kim's eyes filled with tears as she glanced over Ron's naked torso, searching for another wound.

"Not mine," Ron said, a tiny smile etching onto the corner of his lips. "I managed to break Fists' nose by head butting him. Then he…" Ron trailed off.

"Ron?" Kim said softly. She placed her free hand on his shoulder gently as her other squeezed his hand again.

Ron heaved a great, shuddering sigh as tears rolled down his face, curling beneath his chin and dropping onto his chest. "He took my parents." The blond haired teen broke down into huge sobs as his body shook. "I tried so hard, but I couldn't stop him, Kim! I was too weak!"

Kim pressed his head against her chest, stroking his hair and struggling not to cry herself. She comforted him as he cried, his tears of anguish echoing through the desolate house. "Ron, you can't blame yourself. You were outnumbered, and Fist is ruthless," she said, hugging him tight to her as Dr. Possible stood up and called an ambulance on her cell. "It's not your fault."

Ron heaved another great sigh as more warm tears coursed down his cheeks, splashing onto Kim's shirt. "If I'd been stronger, if I wasn't afraid of stupid monkeys…" he sobbed.

"Ron, stop it," Kim said. "Stop this, you couldn't help it!" Kim cupped his chin in one hand and turned his head upwards to face her. "You did the best you could, Ron; no one could ask more of you. Don't worry; we'll get your mom and dad back."

A small smile passed across Ron's face. He moved one arm around Kim's back, hugging her for comfort as he nestled in closer to her. "Promise?" he asked, his tone pleading.

Kim smiled back at him. "I promise."

Ron's eyes closed, and he dropped against Kim's body as the strength once more fled from him. Kim cried out to her mother in alarm. Dr. Possible crossed the room back towards her, and knelt down, placing a finger to Ron's throat gently. She then placed a hand to his forehead, and nodded absently to herself.

"Is he ok?" Kim asked, her voice filled with worry.

"He's exhausted," Mrs. Possible replied. "He must have used a lot of energy in fighting, and that injury he was given just tired him out more." She looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I think he'll be ok, given a night's rest in the hospital. The ambulance will be here in a minute."

"Mom, I want to stay with him overnight."

Mrs. Possible smiled slightly at her daughter. "I thought you would. I think that would be best: if he wakes up in the night, he'll need someone there for comfort. You can accompany him in the ambulance when he's taken, I'll go home and grab some spare clothes for you and meet you there."

"Thanks mom," Kim said gratefully, still holding Ron tightly and stroking his hair lightly. "Don't worry, Ron," she whispered to him quietly, "we'll get your parents back, I promise."


	5. Of Sleep and Stars

Alrighty peoples, I must apologise for the lack of chapters recently. University, exams in just over a week, general mayhem and fun...the usual. So, here's chapter 5. I hope you all enjoy. **As usual, Kim Possible and all related characters are copyright their respective owners (i.e. not me). **

* * *

It felt odd. The darkness, the sensation of floating in nothingness whilst still aware of some solid, physical presence against your body. In an area that, as far as his perception allowed him to ascertain, was purely a black expanse of emptiness, the nerve endings in his body had found some form of physical form to latch onto and project its presence into his nervous system, and thus become aware of it consciously. And interesting sensation, floating in nothingness, but being aware of a soft, comforting form enveloping his back and a lighter, softer feeling over his front. Despite being unable to move his arms and search out this almost tangible presence, he knew it was there.

The question was, was he there with it?

Ron's brain ached. Such questions bordered on the philosophical, and previously, Ron's most demanding question in recent weeks had been "Grande Naco or two Grande Nacos?" _No,_ his mind thought,_ that's a lie. The most difficult question I've faced was whether to date KP or not. But for something so difficult, it felt…right, easy once it was done._ Ron would have groaned if what he perceived to be his almost astral projection of soul had vocal chords. _Since when did I know big words? _

The second question he faced was a similarly difficult one to answer: why was he here? Ron understood the concept of unconsciousness, that stage where the human body has either suffered sufficient trauma or is lacking in nutrients and fuels to cease conscious function and remove the faculties of perception in the physical plain…_damnit, small words, Ron, small words!..._ and yet he had no idea what actually happened in unconsciousness. He could only guess that what he was experiencing at this moment could be considered normal for someone who had recently slipped out of their easily discernable higher brain functions. Of course, to Ron, the fact that most of his thoughts contained words he thought were merely legends, and indeed the fact that he was thinking at all, an action associated with conscious awareness, was quite surprising to him.

_So, logically…urgh, logic, never used it before, it feels wrong! So very wrong! Ok, obviously…yes, better...obviously, I'm not unconscious if I can think and be aware of myself thinking in such a manner. So that means I am conscious, but why the darkness? Duh, eyes closed!_

Considering that, less than ten minutes ago Ron had believed he was unconscious, the speed with which he managed to sit up and open his eyes completely terrified the once sleeping form sat next to his bed, holding his hand lightly in her own.

Kim had been with Ron in the ambulance, clutching his hand tightly on the journey from his house to the emergency facility located near the centre of Middleton. She had been forced to relinquish her grip, if only briefly, when Ron's inert form had been transferred from the ambulance to a stretcher and from there to a waiting hospital bed. Kim didn't exactly dislike hospitals, but she had little love for the sterile, white walls that pressed in around her. Despite knowing that Ron was fine (Kim trusted her mother's words), she still worried about him.

When Ron had been gently deposited in his bed, and the crisp, clean sheets pulled up to his chest, Kim had resumed gripping his inert hand. She had told herself she would not fall asleep, that she would be awake when her Ron…_yes, my Ron…_awoke. She wanted to be the first face that he would see, not some indifferent nurse who didn't know him, who had no idea what he had just been through. To be fair, Kim didn't know exactly what had happened between Ron and Monkey Fist, but Ron had said enough to give Kim a good idea of what must have taken place. However, emotional and physical weariness soon overcame her, and Kim fell into a light doze, slumping forwards in her chair. Her head rested gently on the bedcovers, and her right arm was stretched forward as her hand remained in a gentle embrace with Ron's.

It is understandable, then, that when an unconscious form suddenly sits bolt upright and opens his eyes, Kim awoke with a start and a small shriek, tipping her chair backwards and rolling onto the floor as she attempted to leap instinctively backwards. The cold floor tiles touched her skin, their coolness bringing her mind fully awake, although this could in some small way be contributed to landing on the floor with considerable force.

Kim looked up at the form of her boyfriend, rubbing his eyes and glancing around the hospital room with a bemused expression planted firmly on his face. The skin around his eyes tightened slightly as he peered down at her lying sprawled across the floor.

"KP?" his voice croaked.

"Ron!" she screamed in relief and delight, leaping from the floor with amazing agility and landing on top of him, hugging him tightly.

Ron fell backwards as Kim barrelled into him, landing softly on the mattress. His arms, pinned to his sides, did their best to return the hug, the hands resting gently on her hips. "Good to see you too, Kim," he said, his voice hoarse.

"I'm so glad you're awake! I thought you might have remained unconscious for hours! I was so worried!" Kim drew back from him, looking him straight in the eye. "Don't you ever worry me like that again!" she said with all seriousness.

Ron just smiled and nodded. "Sorry, KP, didn't mean to worry you so much. Although if I get such great treatment every time I wake from unconsciousness…" He laughed shortly.

Kim's gentle laughter joined with his. "Same old Ron," she said quietly, smiling at him.

Ron's smile faded slightly, and his eyes began to water. "Any luck with my parents yet?" he asked, trying hard not to touch the purple welt in the centre of his chest.

Kim immediately embraced Ron again, her arms far gentler this time as they encircled his neck. "I've got Wade working on tracking Fist," she said. "Don't worry Ron, we'll find your mom and dad and get them back. I promise."

Ron's smile returned slightly, though his eyes still showed the grief he felt inside. "I'm so lucky to have such a great friend," he said, his arms slipping around Kim as a few tears escaped his eyes and rolled silently down his face.

* * *

Ron had drifted back to sleep, still weary from the fight he had had with Monkey Fist and his ninjas. Kim was relieved now, knowing that the rhythmic rising and falling of his chest signified deep sleep rather than unconsciousness. She stood and walked around the room, stopping by the window and looking out into the shadowy night. Despite being so close to the centre of Middleton, the stars could still be seen, tiny pinpricks of light against the blackness of space. Kim looked for familiar shades in the stars, searching out the constellations. She thought how, from here, the stars looked so tiny, yet they were in fact huge balls of brilliantly burning gases billions of miles away. She marvelled at how long it took the light from these stars to reach Earth; that so many of these stars could have gone supernova or simply winked out of existence, and it wouldn't be known on Earth for hundreds of years.

Kim indulged herself in a small smile, walking back to Ron's bed and sitting back in her chair. Reaching out with a gentle hand, Kim placed her palm on Ron's head lightly. Seeing that he was in too deep a sleep to notice, she gently stroked through his hair. She did this as much to comfort herself as any effect it may have on Ron: somehow, the unobtrusive intimacy of the action soothed her rioting thoughts and emotions: anger at Monkey Fist, fear for Ron, concern, rage; mostly she had been feeling variations over two powerful, central emotions. But a new one arose in her thoughts, intruding into her conscious mind: this one she crushed immediately, with help from the calming influences of playing with Ron's hair. This new desire was one she didn't want to feel: the desire for revenge. To give in to it would undermine everything that Kim, and indeed Ron, had worked for over the past few years: peace and crime fighting. To act on the vengeful impulse, to go after Fist and make him succumb to her own brand of justice…well, Kim knew very well that it was enough to hand him over to the authorities. Neither he nor Ron had the right to be judge and jury.

Kim leaned forward, and kissed Ron gently on the forehead. "Goodnight, Ron," she whispered. As she laid her head on the bed, Kim glanced up at Ron's peaceful face, and was met by a tiny smile that had formed on his lips. Kim closed her eyes, and could swear she heard a gentle whisper reach her ears.

"Goodnight, KP."


	6. Breakfast plans

Bright morning sunlight streamed through a gap in the pale green curtains, the light falling across a sleeping face. The eyelids flickered, squeezing tighter together against the glaring intrusion, before slowly opening, accompanied by a groan. Emerald green eyes glanced about the room blearily, taking in the sight of several empty beds with crisp, unused white sheets. Arms stretched above a head of luxurious red hair, a little worse for ware after a night of uncomfortable sleep, stretching out unused muscles that were stiff and sore.

Kim yawned, absently wondering what time it was. She reached out for her boyfriend's hand. When she grabbed thin air, Kim looked up at the figure that was in the bed.

Should have been in the bed.

Kim leapt to her feet, looking around the room frantically, fear creeping into her consciousness. Where could Ron have gone? He should have been tucked up safely in the bed. Movement caught Kim's eye. She looked to the far side of the room, noticing the green curtains fluttering in a breeze created by the wide open window.

She panicked. _Oh no, Monkey Fist must have come back in the night and kidnapped Ron! Oh, how could I have been so careless and stupid! Fist took Ron, right from under my sleeping nose! OH God, what if Ron's already... no, that can't have happened! No!_

Kim's eyes brimmed with tears as she paced frantically. She nearly screamed when arms encircled her from behind. She turned awkwardly in the grasp, her arm drawn back and ready to strike as her left leg swept around, kicking her assailant's feet out from under him. Ron hit the ground with a loud thump, and winced in pain.

"Ron!" Kim yelled, diving on top of him and squeezing him tightly. "I thought you were…"

"Getting food?" Ron finished, smiling at her from his position flat on the tiled floor. "I got hungry and didn't want to disturb you, so I went to get some snackage." He help up a hand, allowing her to inspect a half eaten apple.

Kim helped Ron to his feet. "Fruit? Since when have you eaten fruit?" she asked

"Hey, it was either this or that gruel they call breakfast!" Ron answered tersely. He took a bit from the red piece of food in his hand. "S'not bad, actually," he muttered around a mouthful of the succulent nourishment.

Kim laughed as she led Ron back to his bed. Ron clambered in, but simply sat with his back propped against the pillows rather than lie back down. He continued munching away at his apple, his eyes never leaving Kim for a second. Kim noticed this.

"Something wrong?" she enquired.

Ron swallowed the food in his mouth. "Nothing, KP, I was just thinking about how beautiful you look with the sun shining in your hair like that."

Kim smiled. "Thank you," she mumbled as Ron took her hand in his own.

"So, any news from Wade?" Ron asked.

"I'll call him now." Kim pulled the Kimmunicator from her pocket, and pressed a small button just below the screen. Static flickered for a second, before the genius' dark face appeared on the screen. Kim was surprised to see dark rings under the young boy's eyes. "Whoa, Wade, you ok?"

"Hey, Kim. I'm fine, just a little tired. I've been up all night trying to track Monkey Fist. It's not been easy."

Ron leaned forward so that Wade could see him. "Not easy? What's the trouble?"

"Hey Ron, glad to see you're up. Nice war wound. I was tracking Monkey Fist easily enough, he took a plane across to England, and he landed in Heathrow at seven this morning. He used his real name, Montgomery Fiske, to book the tickets. But I lost him at Heathrow; I have no idea where he's going."

Kim arched an eyebrow. "Surely you can trace his name through travel records? I'm assuming you hacked the Heathrow airport terminal files?"

"Natch. But when he arrived in England, I just…lost him. I found scattered hints to his whereabouts, but nothing specific. It's like he's covering his trail electronically."

Ron glanced to Kim. "Since when did Fist learn to use a computer?"

"England isn't totally backwards, Ron," Kim chided.

"I know, but Fist is."

"Good point. You think he might have someone more computer savvy working for him?" Kim addressed Wade.

"Could be. I've been trying to track the blocks. Pretty tough stuff, the guy who's doing this isn't as skilled as me or many other hackers I could name, but he knows enough to set up false trails and email blocks. I've broken through most of them, but he's setting them up almost as quickly as I can knock them down!"

Kim was about to ask him to keep working at it, but she saw the exhaustion in Wade's eyes. "Get some rest," Kim advised, "and you can keep working on it later. We know he's in England somewhere, and Ron's in no condition to chase after him just yet."

Wade visibly sagged with relief. "Later, guys," he said, switching off the communication from his end.

Kim turned to look at Ron, who had a scowl on his face. "Ron?"

"I should be going after him!" Ron said coldly. "He took my family and tried to kill me. I can't let him get away!"

Kim squeezed his hand gently. "Ron, don't worry, we'll get him, but we're going to need Wade at his best to assist us. And you need to let that injury heal."

"It feels fine," Ron muttered angrily. Kim arched an eyebrow. As Ron tried to get up, she placed a restraining hand against his chest. Ron grimaced and bit off a groan, sinking back into the bed. "Ok KP, point made."

Kim smiled at him, and placed a soft kiss against his lips. "I knew you'd see things my way," she said. "I doubt Fist will do anything to your parents, he needs them right now. Now get some rest, I'm going to get some breakfast."

As Kim got up, Ron looked down at his hands. He clenched them into fists, then unclenched them, sighing. Just as Kim got to the door, he called out to her. "Kim?"

"Yeah, Ron?"

"Could you bring me another apple, please? Three just aren't enough for a decent breakfast."

Kim smiled. "Sure. I'll bring you an orange, too."

Ron feigned confusion, his eyebrows knitted together as if deep in thought. "Or…ange? What is this 'orange' you speak of? What does it taste like?"

Kim laughed as she left, the door swinging shut quietly behind her. Ron sank into thought as conflicting emotions roiled within him. Since he woke up, there had been a dull ache in his chest from the bruise. He had, in all honesty, told Kim a small lie: he had actually been woken up for an x-ray early that morning. The doctors highly doubted any broken or fractured ribs, but they insisted on this as a precautionary measure. The x-ray had shown nothing out of the ordinary, and so Ron had gone for breakfast. Ron knew that he needed to not only heal physically before going after Monkey Fist, but he had to sort out his emotions and psyche.

The fear of monkeys was definitely a problem when it came to fighting Fist. Being, essentially, a humanoid simian, Ron always had the feeling of phobia when they fought. It was always heightened by the presence of the actually monkey ninjas: Fist knew that Ron was scared of them, and Ron knew Fist would use this to his advantage. Ron shuddered: he never liked to think of monkeys.

Ron's brown eyes stared off into empty space, unfocussed, as he pondered upon this problem. Perhaps Kim could distract the ninjas while Ron dealt with Fist? Ron mentally shook his head; it would be unfair to ask Kim to take on all those ninjas by herself, and what if he ended up needing her help fighting with Fist? _Let's face it; I normally turn to KP for help in fights, not the other way around. Who am I kidding when I say that I took out Shego? I was just lucky: Kim's fought her countless times and always beats her, I just leant her extra arms last time._ Ron's mind filled with self doubt. _And if I was really any good at fighting, I'd have been able to stop Fist last night!_ His eyes filled with hot tears, and he angrily wiped them away. He resumed staring into space. _I shouldn't think like that. I'm competent; Kim's even told me as much on our latest missions. I help more now: I can face henchmen! I couldn't do that eight months ago, but now look at me! No longer just the distraction. Kim now considers me her equal, not just the sidekick!_

Kim re-entered the room during Ron's internal monologue, but his unfocussed gaze completely failed to register he entrance. She placed an apple and an orange on the table next to him, before sitting in the chair next to the bed. She noticed he was staring at something in her direction; something on her. She glanced down: perhaps there was something on her shirt? Her eyes widened as she thought she knew what he was staring at: her chest. She grinned, her eyes narrowing slightly as she thought up a plan.

Ron was roused from his thoughts by a cough. He suddenly registered what he was looking at.

"Enjoying the view?" Kim's voice said tensely.

Ron looked up, his face flushing a deep red. "Kim, I, er, was…staring…"

"Yeah, at my 'assets.' Ron Stoppable, you dirty perv!"

"I didn't mean to, honest, I didn't even realise!"

Kim leant forward, her hands pushing down on the mattress. Her arms pressed either side of her chest. She noticed with smug satisfaction that Ron was fighting to keep from staring. "I'm going to have to punish you."

Ron was more scared than he had ever been in his life. What was Kim going to do to him? He was more than surprised when she clambered on top of him and pressed her lips firmly against his own. He was even more surprised when a low purr rose in Kim's throat and she brought her tongue into play.

After a few minutes, Kim broke away from the kiss, her hair more dishevelled than it had been when she first woke up. "Had enough?" she asked, a husky note in her voice. Ron opened and closed his mouth repeatedly in a fair impression of a goldfish, unable to find the words. Kim laughed, and then gave him a gentle peck on the lips. Satisfied, she rolled off him and settled on her back next to him, squeezed close to him on the single size mattress.

There were a few moments of silence before Ron finally found his voice.

"Seriously, what does an orange taste like?"


	7. Tracking and Leaving

**I own nothing! It's all Disney, ya'll! Hollah!** Sorry this has been so long, I really could not get this chapter to turn out right. It's still really bad. Just consider this a transition chapter til the next bit.

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Wade sighed as he hammered away at his keyboard, his eyes flicking between screens and monitors. His fingers danced across the keys, skipping across some letters before depressing others. He glanced up at the small computer monitor suspended in the air above his head, hoping for some hint, a trail to his prey. 

A loud, blaring beep filled his ears as the flat-screen display on the desk flared red. A computerised, feminine voice called out. "_Virus detected. Total system infection in thirty seconds_." Wade growled, a sound seldom heard from the young genius. It was difficult to make the good natured twelve year-old angry, but this amateur was certainly getting close.

"You think you can out hack me?" Wade said aloud as his fingers increased their speed. The computer counted down, a ticking clock flashing on the screen. Red figures changed quickly, dropping from twenty to fifteen. "Alright, I think I got it!" Wade cried in triumph, pressing down hard on a single key.

"_Virus isolated: performing system sweep. Three additional infected files located, removing…unable to delete,"_ the computer's voice spoke unemotionally. _"Moving infected files to quarantine…infected files secure. Wiping hard drive segments exposed to infected files…wipe complete, hard drive clean."_

The boy genius pumped his fist in the air in delight. "Ha, no one out-hacks Wade!" he cried in triumph.

He was interrupted as a familiar tone sounded. Turning to face a smaller monitor to his right, Wade pressed the 'accept transmission' button.

"Hi, Wade," Kim's voice sounded small through the computer speakers.

"Hey Kim, how's Ron?"

The question was answered by a loud crash in the background, accompanied by an angry voice shouting, "Rufus, give me back my nachos!"

"He's fine," Kim said, amusement creeping into her voice. "I smuggled some nachos in for him, but Rufus has commandeered them."

"Rufus!"

"So I can hear," Wade replied, glancing away to check the main monitor as a digital map of the English counties appeared.

"Any luck with Fist?"

Wade nodded. "Yeah, I've managed to track him from Heathrow. His employed hacker managed to slow me down, but I'm getting closer. Fist left Heathrow and headed north by train, it looks like he's going towards Manchester."

"Manchester?" Kim mused, placing a finger to her chin as Ron dashed past behind her, chasing a small, naked form. "Isn't there an airport there?"

"I see where you're going with this. Yeah, there is an airport there. If Fist wanted to go north, he could have just used that airport. I think his taking a plane to Heathrow was just a way to try to throw me off his trail."

"What could he want up in the north of England?" Kim wondered aloud.

"That's easy," Ron said as he dropped his chin onto Kim's shoulder. "I heard about this big zoo up there, near someplace called Chester. He obviously wants to get more monkeys!" Kim felt the slight shudder as Ron said the 'm' word.

"He could have gone to London zoo for that, I'm sure it's bigger and has more monkeys," Kim replied. "Besides, I doubt he wants to free the monkeys, he has plenty of ninjas."

Ron drew back from Kim, not wanting her to feel the tremor that had developed in his body. In his mind's eyes, he could clearly see the uniform-clad simians, pouncing around in his darkened kitchen, swooping in for attacks, their cold eyes glittering. Ron jumped as a soft hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned, looking into Kim's eyes, swallowing past his fear.

"Right, yeah, no more monkeys," he said hesitantly.

"Sorry Ron, didn't mean to bring that back up," said Kim, her tone apologetic. She turned her attention back to Wade. "Any suggestions?"

Kim was met by a loud cry of elation from the Kimmunicator. "Ha, found you, you amateur hacker wannabe!"

"Wade?"

"I found Fist's accomplice! He's hiding in Crewe, Cheshire!"

"Which is where?" Ron asked in confusion.

"About thirty miles south of Manchester."

"So Fist is going to rendezvous with his hacker!" Kim exclaimed. "Wade, has the hacker found out you're tracing him?"

"I don't think he's realised yet."

"Good, keep the trace on him and notify me of any updates." Looking around, Kim saw that Ron had walked back over to his bed, searching for his naked mole rat. "Anything on Ron's parents?" she whispered.

Wade looked down at his keyboard, shaking his head. "Sorry, nothing yet. The only thing I know is that Monkey Fist bought three plane tickets, and has three train tickets, so they're still with him."

Kim sighed. "Ok, thanks Wade. Tell me if you find out more."

Wade nodded, glancing up to the monitor above his head. "Alright, later guys." The familiar KP symbol filled the Kimmunicator's screen as Wade terminated the connection, delving back to work. Kim placed the device back in her pocket, and turned back to Ron, who was once again trying to catch Rufus.

"Ok guys, stop that!" she admonished them. Ron stopped his chase, and wandered over to Kim.

"So, northern England, huh?" he said as he slipped an arm around Kim's waist. "Road trip!"

Kim laughed gently as she placed a hand very softly against Ron's t-shirt clad chest. He barely flinched as her hand made contact. "How's the chest?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern.

Ron shrugged. "A little sore, but not nearly as bad as it was this morning. The swelling has gone down too."

"So I can feel," Kim replied, gently moving her hand. Ron took the hand in his own, and moved it to his side.

"If it's all the same, KP, no touching the chest just yet, it's still a little sensitive to direct pressure. The rest of me, however…"

Ron was graced with a beautiful smile from Kim. "Maybe later, Mr. Stoppable. You've had your fun for the day!"

Ron's face fell as he pouted, drawing a giggle from Kim. "Not fair," he said. "Any idea when the doctors will let me out?"

The door swung open as Mrs and Mr Dr. Possible entered the room, Jim and Tim in tow. "Ron!" the twins called, waving.

"Tweebs?" Kim said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

James Possible looked to his daughter. "Jim and Tim wanted to see how Ronald was doing. They heard about what happened."

"Hey guys," Ron greeted the twins.

"We heard you fought some ninjas!" Jim said in earnest.

"And beat them real good!" Tim continued.

"So we came down here…"

"…To see how you were doing!"

Ron looked between the two of them, a smile on his face. "Well, they weren't real ninjas, they were just monkeys…"

As Ron indulged the twins with a brief account of the fight, leaving out the details of his parents' kidnap, Kim looked to her mother. "So mom, any idea when Ron can leave?"

"He can be discharged today, Kimmie," Mrs Possible said. "The x-rays are clear, and he's shown no sign of fatigue since last night. All he needs is a bandage around his chest and he'll be fit to leave."

"And then you can track down that Monkey Fist and get Ron's parents back," Mr Possible continued. "In my day, we didn't have to worry about super villains kidnapping our parents. This Monkey Fist is despicable," he growled. "If I'd been there, I'd have shown him a thing or two."

Kim's mother placed a calming hand on her husband's shoulder. "He's a trained ninja, dear; I don't think you could have really done much."

James sagged slightly, but his jaw was still clenched tightly. "Still, it was a disgusting act! No one deserves that treatment, especially someone like Ronald."

Mrs Possible leant towards Kim, whispering in her ear. "Your father's been feeling like this since he found out about the attack on Ron last night. He considers Ron an honorary Possible, you know."

Kim smiled slightly, before hugging her father. "I know Ron would appreciate the sentiment, daddy."

Mr Possible looked down at his daughter, smiling slightly. He was about to say something when a pillow flew past his head, missing him by bare inches. He looked across the room. "Jim, Tim, no throwing hospital bedding!" he shouted.

Ron walked over to the Possibles, his usual red shirt pulled on over his bandaged chest. "Morning, Doctors P," he greeted them.

"Good morning, Ronald," James replied. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sore, but otherwise fine. I just want to get out of here and go after Fist." Ron's face darkened slightly as he mentioned his foe's name, a brief surge of hatred striking his mind. Kim grabbed Ron's hand, giving a gentle squeeze.

"Ron, come with me a second. S'cuse us mom and dad," Kim said, leading Ron to a far corner of the room as her parents went to halt Jim and Tim's reign of destruction. She looked into Ron's eyes, searching.

"Er…KP? What's up?" he asked.

"Ron, are you alright? You seem a bit…off."

"Off?" he said in confusion.

"Not your usual self. I saw that anger in your eyes when you were talking to my dad. Is it Fist?"

Ron's smile slipped from his face, his brow dropping into a stern crease as his jaw tightened. "I can't keep smiling, Kim! Usually I can hide everything behind a mask of grins, but…I just can't this time!" Ron was bordering on yelling. "He took my parents!" There was a thud as Ron's fist slammed into the wall. "I want to…I want to…" Angry tears formed in his eyes, the hot liquid sliding down his cheeks.

Kim moved closer to him, drawing him into a comforting hug. "It's ok, Ron, it's ok. We'll go after Fist and find your parents. It'll be alright." Ron's head sank forwards as he buried his face in her shoulder, his body heaving as he quietly sobbed. Kim quietly soothed him, running her hand through his hair as her other arm held him close.

"I feel so pathetic," he said quietly. "So useless."

"You're anything but useless, Ron," Kim replied, drawing back and looking into his eyes. "You are the bravest, most courageous person I know, and I wouldn't want you any other way. We'll find your parents, we'll beat Fist, and everything will be fine again." She gently kissed Ron's forehead, then held him tightly again.

Ron sighed, wrapping his arms around the red headed teen heroine. "Thanks, KP."

As Kim led Ron from the room to get his bandages changed before leaving the hospital, James Possible walked across to the corner his daughter had taken Ron to talk. He peered at the wall Ron had punched in anger, noticing the dent in the solid brick. Eyebrows arching in thought, Dr Possible left the room, wondering just what would happen once Ronald caught up with the man who had kidnapped his parents and threatened his family, and just how far the blonde teen may take his revenge.


End file.
